1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, refrigerators are home appliances for storing foods at a low temperature in a storage space covered by a door. For this, such a refrigerator cools a storage space using cold air generated through heat-exchange with a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration cycle, so that foods stored in the storage space can be kept in a refrigeration or frozen state.
The temperature of a storage space should be maintained at a set temperature such that foods stored in the storage space are always kept in an optimal state. In addition, the interior of the storage space should be sealed to maintain the set temperature, and should be continuously cooled through the supply of cold air using a refrigeration cycle.
For example, Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 1997-0070868 discloses a refrigerator in which a storage space is divided into a refrigeration compartment and a freezer compartment, and the freezer compartment is maintained at a set temperature by cold air generated by an evaporator provided at the rear side of the freezer compartment. In the refrigerator, a damper is provided on a flow path of cold air supplied into the refrigeration compartment, and the amount of the cold air supplied into the refrigeration compartment is adjusted by opening/closing the damper, so that the refrigeration compartment is maintained at a set temperature.
However, in the configuration described above, if driving of a compressor is started, the damper is opened such that the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment are cooled at the same time. Then, if the damper is closed as the operation of the refrigeration compartment having a relatively high set temperature is first completed, the freezer compartment is continuously cooled. If the operation for cooling the freezer compartment is continued for a long period of time, the temperature of the refrigeration compartment may be increased to the set temperature or higher. Then, the damper is opened to re-cool the refrigeration compartment.
Under the circumferences, the refrigeration compartment can be re-cooled, but the temperature of the freezer compartment may be again increased as high-temperature air is introduced from the refrigeration compartment into the freezer compartment. As a result, it takes longer to operate the compressor. In other words, although the temperature of the refrigeration compartment is again decreased to the set temperature or lower, it takes longer for the compressor to cool the freezer compartment. Additionally, power consumption is also increased.